


At Night all Cats are Grey

by Sevka (TheFaultInOurHeads)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Minerva McGonagall, Cats, Early Work, Gen, Insecure Draco Malfoy, Late Night Conversations, Overheard Conversations, Pre-Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Teacher-Student Friendship, Telepathic Communication between Animagi, Translation, animagi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6222226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFaultInOurHeads/pseuds/Sevka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Conversations and confessions in the dark, keen eyes observing from the shadows - Hogwarts at night is never as quiet as it seems. After the war, Draco is trying to come to terms with his situation, and Severus feels out of his depth supporting him. Minerva thinks that Severus is an idiot and comes to the rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a translation-in-progress and simultaneous reworking of a story I wrote in 2011. While the prologue and first chapter are rather short and descriptive, the other chapters will be longer and have more dialogue. If everything goes as planned, the whole thing will end up around 6k words. Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

It was the middle of the night, and darkness wrapped around Hogwarts castle like an inky black cloak. Out on the school grounds, a person could not have seen their hand in front of their face, much less their feet on the ground or any of the things happening in the vast, deceptively empty space around them. Had they looked up into the sky, or let their gaze travel over the black lake that lay peacefully amidst the shadowy hills, they might have seen the stars, or their blurry reflection in the water, moving in ripples with each new gust of wind. In every other direction, there was only blackness.

Any student, teacher or stranger moving across Hogwarts’ grounds on this wonderful night would have missed the silent conversations, the small signs of company and companionship in the shadows around them. They would have considered themselves alone, never suspecting how far they were from the truth, and how close to silent observers. Perhaps they would have felt the piercing glances of small creatures, but discarded the feeling as a product of their imagination, heightened by nightly quietude.

In truth, no human being, wizard or not, found themselves outside the castle walls that night. Just as truthfully, nobody had stolen away from their bed without permission, and in consequence, no student had to fear punishment for breaking the rules and leaving their dormitory that night. Those truths, however, did not mean that all students and teachers were spending the night hours peacefully slumbering in their warm and comfortable beds. Nor, as one might have deduced, had none of them left the safety of the castle’s halls. On the contrary, those truths indicated a night full of conversations, confessions and observations, disbelief, and perhaps laughter. Arguments and harmony in equal measure, between members of Gryffindor and Slytherin house. It would be an important night, but only a select group of people would be privy to its events.

Do you want to belong to those select few? Then open your eyes further, and your mind further still, strive to look past the boundaries of darkness, and catch a glimpse of what happened on September 12, around two o’clock in the morning, out on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Minerva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva just wanted a quiet night without any disturbances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another very short chapter, but after this they'll get longer. Enjoy!

Minerva strode majestically through the tall grass. In human form, the blades would have stopped a few inches above her ankles, but in her animagus form, they reached up to her shoulder. She had to lift her paws rather pointedly in order to not get stuck in the greenery, her gait drawn up and proud as a result. Minerva immensely enjoyed her existence as the tabby cat with the distinctive pattern around her glowing eyes, as she did those nights in which she could distance herself from all her duties as the strict professor and head of house, able to be someone entirely different. Well, _potentially_ at least. 

Admittedly, even as a cat Minerva remained much the same person she always was. She thought the same thoughts, embodied the same spirit, the same temper and disposition human Minerva did. She reflected on her day’s experiences, school, her students, but she felt more liberated than she ever came close to in human form. When she was a cat, she could shed some responsibility towards her work, and for once avoid being at her students’ or colleagues’ beck and call. The few nights during which Minerva indulged in this freedom, she loved beyond all measure.

Losing her patience struggling with the tall grass, Minerva crossed the remaining distance between herself and the lake in a few bounding leaps. Her animal senses made her hyperaware of her surroundings, as she was clearly beholding the outline of the stone benches against the darkness, the reflections of the stars on the vast surface of the lake, her ears detecting the almost inaudible flutter of leaves the soft breeze caused in the trees. On a whim, the feline professor leapt onto the closest, gnarled tree and started climbing until she reached the point where the trunk first split in two, and then divided into numerous long, sweeping branches. In best cat-like manner, Minerva positioned herself in the crook of a wide branch, let one paw dangle in the air and allowed her thoughts to drift. Time went slowly by until, a long while later, just as she was about to get up and head back to the castle, Minerva noticed quiet footsteps below her. Without question, they were the soft footfalls of other cats’ paws in the grass, and at first, she suspected the roaming familiar of a Hogwarts student or teacher. Then, she heard the voices in her head.


	3. Heart meets Sleeve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some feelings just cannot be contained any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of several longer chapters. Enjoy!

The two cats that were slowly approaching the lake, one black and one beige, presented a harmonious picture. They were about the same height, the black cat perhaps a tad sturdier than the other, moving gracefully through the tall grass. Their conversation didn't carry through the air so much as it took place entirely in their minds, and in that of every animagus in the vicinity. A wizard in their animagus form wasn't left with many magical devices, but it appeared that all of them were able to master a form of legilimentic conversation that continued to elude them as humans.

"Well, this is surprisingly fun." the beige cat was saying as it got into closer range of Minerva's chosen tree.

"I must admit, you may have chosen a worse night for an... _adventure_ such as this." came the reply.

"What happened to lecturing me about breaking school rules?"

The question was met with a huff. "Don't push your luck, young man. Technically, you aren't breaking the rules as long as I am with you, although I may just change my mind if you are set on being impertinent. In fact, instead of alerting me to my potentially questionable decisions, I'd rather you would get to the point of what you needed to tell me so urgently that it couldn't wait until morning."

"Aren't you cheerful." the beige cat scoffed. "Can't we just enjoy being out here for a minute?"

"No, we can't. And if you insist on beating around the bush any longer, we might as well go back immediately. You've been avoiding to answer me properly ever since we left the castle, and you must recall that I am not exactly known for my patience. As enjoyable a night as you may have chosen, I would prefer not to alert the Headmaster to the fact that I took a nightly stroll over Hogwarts' grounds with you, which is exactly what will happen if I am missing from my quarters for half the night. Not that he could prohibit it, of course, but he would certainly object quite vehemently."

"Yeah, it must be hard to be one of the people Dumbledore cares about." Rather out of the blue, the slimmer cat's voice had taken on a mocking tone, which grew more and more indignant by the word.

"In fact, it has to be horrible for you. Who wants to be important to someone? Somehow, I imagine you to be the last person to find yourself in that particular situation. You must find the Headmaster's worry and support terribly _inconvenient_! Isn't that so?"

The dark animagus suddenly pounced, and before the other cat knew what was happening, it found itself eye to eye with its companion who had effectively blocked the way, and proceeded to growl at him.

"Draco Malfoy, do not presume that you can take this tone with me. Try it again, and this little endeavour will be cut short sooner than you can say _meow_." The disdain in that last word was palpable. "You know very well that the old fool doesn't _worry_ about _me_. He rather worries about keeping control over me, perhaps, now that the Dark Lord is dead and I am relieved from my duties. The day somebody cares about my well-being will surely be the day that I have lost my touch." A deep breath, then, calmer: "And I can't help but notice that you're in much of a similar position, so I cannot fathom what would prompt such an inane outburst from you."

Draco chuckled bitterly.

"You cannot fathom a great many things, Severus. And your little attempt at keeping me in line is, frankly, pathetic at best. Do you really think I haven't noticed that _you_ care for me? In whatever twisted way you try to show it, or rather keep it from me, don't think for a second that you can hide the obvious. You may have world's best game face, but, and I hate to break this to you, you are dreadfully failing at _feelings_ , and I mean showing them and hiding them alike. You're a paradox if I've ever seen one, Severus."

Severus, utterly taken by surprise, could do nothing but stare as Draco went on.

"And that must be _inconvenient_ too, suddenly not having an excuse to be heartless and solitary. It's strange, isn't it, that I have known what I am to you for years, yet I never dared to address it. Whereas now, my _dear_ Severus, I am 'taking that tone with you' because your mask has been slipping for a good long while and I'm _tired_ of playing pretend. Seeing how you fail to acknowledge any of this, it seems that being confrontative about it is the only way..." Draco trailed off, visibly gathering himself as if expecting rejection, then looked Severus straight in the eyes and continued.

"Now that my parents are in Azkaban and most of my friends are dead, I _need_ to be able to turn to you. I've always been sure that if it came down to that, you would let me, that you would _listen_ if I just tried hard enough. I don't regret a single thing I've said to you, because I _finally_ managed to break through your reserve, and that, Severus, is a good thing. It's a thing I deserve, don't you dare to suggest otherwise. I have lost all those who have cared for me before, all that's left now is you. And don't even bother trying to deny it. You cared enough to come out here with me in the middle of the night, didn't you?"

Draco's eyes betrayed a vulnerability that was atypical for the Slytherin, and Severus' expression, as much as the feline features permitted, could be best described with the word 'perplexed'.

"Draco, I -" the latter began, just to be immediately interrupted.

"Yes, _you_. Quite right, you and nobody else. You are my family now, Severus, and it's about time you noticed that it's what I want. Merlin, I've been treating you like family for months, you might as well be my uncle or my godfather. And don't interrupt me telling me you aren't, because I know that, I do. Lucius was stubborn enough to appoint some pureblooded half-stranger as my godfather, I get that, but Merlin do I wish it wasn't true! And you endure it, endure me and all my stupid baggage, and still believe that I don't notice if I'm more to you than just a student among hundreds?" Draco was slowly talking himself into a rage now.

"I have been confiding in you, and trusting you with all those pesky _feelings_ and _worries_ of mine, and you snark and complain because you suck at that kind of thing, but still - you listen! And you'll drink coffee and complain some more because I prefer to take the alcoholic route, because I waste your time annoying you, because you're afraid that your precious reputation might suffer if you _care_... and _still_ you accompanied me tonight because I told you I needed to confess something. Honestly, I'm starting to think you don't even realise this. Do you, Severus? You're like a schoolboy whenever you rail against Dumbledore, or Gryffindors, or Professor McGonagall whenever she, and I quote, has the _nerve_ to take points from Slytherin house, and it appears you're even worse than a schoolboy when it comes to personal relationships. It takes an extremely stubborn man, Severus, to be as oblivious as you are."

With those words, Draco's slim feline form turned around on the spot and strode away towards the lakeside. Paws in the damp sand, the beige cat began restlessly pacing up and down the shore. It was an attempt to get his anger and his loose tongue under control, Severus knew, and therefore didn't attempt to move any closer. In truth, he appreciated the time to collect his own thoughts.

The boy, of course, was spot on, and it irked Severus that their issues had amounted to such a confrontation. He had no means to deny his own sentiments towards the boy anymore, and he had seldom felt this _caught_ , as if someone had found out his most valued secret. Most importantly though, he somehow didn't find it in himself to truly be mad. No, not even at the fact that he had just received a thorough dressing down from someone who was, ultimately, his student, as he found himself far too busy trying to puzzle out the _why_.

Draco, to his knowledge, wasn't even aware that the potions master had requested to become the child's godfather upon his birth. Narcissa had been ready to consider the matter, but Lucius had insisted on a rich, pureblood candidate benefitting the Malfoy family's social status. Lucius, at the time, had been well aware that Severus would care for the boy regardless. The rejection, however, had prompted Severus to stay out of Draco's life to the best of his abilities, if only to prove to Lucius the faults of his arrogance. He realised now that his resolve had long been slipping, and after tonight, after Draco had confronted him with such a desperate frankness, he would be a fool to try and pretend differently any longer. Accepting this realisation, though, left Severus with one very important question: What, by Salazar, was he expected to do now?


End file.
